Texas Among States Warned of Possible al-Qaeda Attacks Monday Before Election

U.S. intelligence officials have warned federal and local law enforcement of chatter indicating potential attacks by al-Qaeda terrorists in Texas, Virginia, and New York Monday.

CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton said sources told her alerts had been issued to joint terrorism task forces, who are still assessing the intelligence to confirm its credibility. No specific locations within the three states named in the intelligence have been mentioned, and Milton's sources said counter-terrorism officials had been alerted “out of an abundance of caution.”

“The counter-terrorism and homeland security communities remain vigilant and well-postured to defend against attacks here in the United States,” a senior FBI official told CBS News. “The FBI, working with our federal, state and local counterparts, shares and assesses intelligence on a daily basis and will continue to work closely with law enforcement and intelligence community partners to identify and disrupt any potential threat to public safety.”

The latest alert follows one issued earlier this week to local police which concerned polling places being seen as attractive targets for lone wolf attacks.

While officials are taking the potential threats seriously, they say such threats routinely increase during election season, big events, and holidays.